America Rising cofounder Joe Pounder joins Marco Rubio campaign
America Rising president and cofounder Joe Pounder is joining Marco Rubio’s campaign as a senior adviser. Founded after the 2012 presidential election, America Rising PAC became one of the leading Republican oppo-research firms, serving as an alternative to American Bridge PAC, its Democratic counterpart. Pounder also worked on Rubio’s 2010 Senate campaign. “As one of its co-founders, America Rising wouldn’t be where it is today without the tireless work of Joe Pounder,” said America rising chair Matt Rhoades to the National Review. “Joe is the hardest-working operative in politics today, and Senator Rubio is lucky to have him back. America Rising’s neutrality in the Republican primary remains unchanged, and so does our core mission: defeating Secretary of Clinton and Democrats everywhere to maintain our GOP majorities in congress.”
Bradley Byrne: Long-term highway bill good news for southwest Alabama
I’ve written many times about the need for Congress to pass a reliable, long-term bill to fund our nation’s highway system. I’ve considered this one of my top priorities in Congress because of how important a new highway bill would be for our area. I have repeatedly voted against short-term highway bills that simply put the problem off a few weeks or months. I believe it is critically important that Congress stop passing the buck on major issues and instead make the difficult decisions that our constituents elected us to make. We have to stop the cycle of governing from crisis to crisis. In Southwest Alabama, we have numerous highway projects in need of attention. Whether it is four laning Highway 84 in Monroe and Clarke counties, finishing the Baldwin Beach Express out to I-65, or widening Highway 45 in north Mobile and Washington counties, there are projects all across the First Congressional District. No local transportation project has gotten as much attention as the need for a new I-10 Bridge over the Mobile River. No matter where you live in Southwest Alabama, you have probably been affected by the backups on I-10. This project has been decades in the making, and the need gets greater every day. Last week the House made some real progress when we passed a new, six-year highway bill. I was proud to support this legislation, which would provide the certainty needed to move forward with new projects and make much needed improvements to our nation’s ailing infrastructure. Many Democrats wanted to pay for the highway bill by raising the gas tax, but this bill rejects that flawed idea and does not raise taxes at all. Additionally, the bill would reform our nation’s surface transportation system, promote innovation to make the highway system more efficient, and maintain a strong commitment to safety. The bill also helps streamline the federal bureaucracy and cut down on unnecessary paperwork. Having a safe and reliable highway system is vitally important to a strong economy, and this bill will allow us to strengthen our highway system so we can remain competitive on the world stage. Prospective businesses always look at the local transportation system when deciding where to locate, so the highway bill most certainly can be considered a “jobs bill.” I was especially pleased to see the highway bill include a new grant program for “Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects.” These are projects that generate national or regional economic benefits and reduce highway congestion and bottlenecks. Under this new program, it will be at the discretion of the Secretary of Transportation to pick which highway projects would qualify for the special funding. The good news is that current Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx visited Mobile earlier this year at my invitation to learn more about the I-10 Bridge project. During his visit, he promised to make the project a priority, and I feel confident he would designate our project a “National Significant Freight and Highway Project.” This would go a long way toward securing the funding needed to build the bridge. The House and Senate have each now passed a six-year highway bill. Since the bills are slightly different, a conference committee made up of House and Senate members has been formed to work out the differences. The current highway bill expires on November 20, so I am optimistic we can have a new, long-term bill finalized by that point. If we are able to get the bill to the President’s desk for his signature, it would be the first highway bill authorizing more than two years of funding that the President has signed since 2005. That would be a major accomplishment and a big step toward improving our nation’s highway system. Bradley Byrne is a member of the U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Richard Shelby to face primary challengers
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby may finally have to tap into his $19 million campaign war chest — he’s being primaried. Filing just before the Friday 5 p.m. deadline, Iraq War veteran and small business owner Jonathan McConnell announced he would challenge the five-term Republican senator in a primary. McConnell, 33, of Homewood, made the announcement at the Alabama Republican Party headquarters. “Washington is broken. But instead of leaders who are focused on solving the problem, our politicians are focused on profiting from the work we send them to do in Washington. That’s why I’m running – because its time to put an end to politicians who profit while we pay,” said McConnell. A graduate of Auburn University, Captain McConnell served in the Marines from 2005 – 2008, where he was stationed on the outskirts of Fallujah, Iraq in 2006 and was then redeployed to the Syrian Border in 2007 where he commanded the Second Mobile Assault Platoon and was Executive Officer of Weapons Company. Upon returning, he earned his law degree at the University of Alabama. While a law student, McConnell founded Meridian Global Consulting — a global maritime security company which combats the Somali Piracy threat against merchant vessels — where he currently serves as President and CEO. While he’s not been in office himself, McConnell is no stranger to politics. His father, Roger McConnell, was chairman of the Alabama Republican Party in 1993-94. “We need that kind of bold, conservative leadership in Washington. The insiders and politicians are ruining this country, and we need to take it back from them before they do any more damage,” McConnell explained in a statement.. McConnell isn’t Shelby’s only primary opponent. Former state Sen. Shadrack McGill, John Martin and Marcus Bowman will all face-off in the March 1 primary — the winner of which will likely take the Senate seat in November.
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers
A round-up of Sunday editorials from Alabama’s leading newspapers: The Anniston Star – More of the same in Montgomery Alabama’s General Fund budget is the backyard swimming pool that’s never full. Be it from a leak or lackadaisical upkeep, it’s always on the shy side. Water’s constantly in demand. This week, state lawmakers were warned: the General Fund that this year faced a shortfall of more than $200 million will face a gap of up to $50 million in the next fiscal year. The fixes — read: tax increases and budget cuts — the Legislature arranged this year only fixed the current problem. It did nothing for what’s around the corner. It’s laughable to hear lawmakers this fall spout the usual talking points when told the state’s non-education bank account will need more repair. We won’t raise taxes to shore up the General Fund, they say. “I think there is very, very little likelihood of any new taxes passing,” Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, told The Star’s Tim Lockette. It’s time we look at state-sanctioned gambling to produce new revenue, they say. “Some form (of gambling) is going to definitely be out there during the (next) session,” Orr said. Cuts to state departments, services and agencies will be considered, they say. Funny guys, these lawmakers. The Birmingham News – The real impact of the Alabama Senate’s new budget chairmen It’s musical chairs in the Alabama Senate with Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and Trip Pittman (R-Montrose) swapping places. Orr will now helm the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee while Pittman will lead the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee. With a cash-strapped budget in the General Fund over the last few years, Senator Orr has been forced to scrutinize every line item. Like it or not, Alabama’s General Fund budget is about as tight as they come. To put in in perspective, Alabama’s $1.76 billion General Fund budget for 2016 is over one hundred million dollars less than Metro Nashville’s budget for the same time period. Now Orr will turn his focus onto Alabama’s education spending. For years, the Education Trust Fund has been the proverbial third rail for any politician who dares suggest changes. While K-12 education is often the focal point, higher education has largely avoided scrutiny. In Alabama politics, true coincidence is rare. The Decatur Daily – GOP candidates debate their debates The Republican candidates for president, already frustrated, went ballistic during and after the CNBC debate. Sen. Ted Cruz eloquently, if inaccurately, summed up the frustration. “The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media,” Cruz said, in response to a question directed at him about the debt limit. “You look at the questions: ‘Donald Trump, are you a comic-book villain?’ ‘Ben Carson, can you do math?’ ‘John Kasich, will you insult two people over here?’ ‘Marco Rubio, why don’t you resign?’ ‘Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen?’ How about talking about the substantive issues the people care about?” While many of the questions could have been phrased more professionally, they were substantive. Whether or not Trump would be a competent president, he makes outlandish claims on the campaign trail. So moderators appropriately asked him about how he would manage the mass deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants. And they were fair in challenging him on assertions he would not just build an impenetrable wall between the United States and Mexico, but get the Mexican government to pay for it. Trump’s claim that he could cut $10 trillion from the U.S. deficit without raising taxes needed to be questioned. Moderators did not ask Carson if he could “do math,” but they did question him on his tax plan. The 15 percent flat tax he proposes would leave a $1 trillion gap between federal expenses and revenue. That doesn’t mean the doctor is bad at math, but it does suggest his cures for America’s ills are reckless. Sen. Rubio was asked about his horrible record of showing up for Senate votes, but moderators weren’t the first to ask the question. Bush, one of Rubio’s constituents, also quizzed him on the issue. Rubio also was asked about a tax plan that would increase the after-tax income of the top 1 percent of earners far more than it would the middle class. That’s a fair subject for questions, even if he’d prefer not to give answers. Dothan Eagle – The elusive illusion of highway funding Drivers along the Ross Clark Circle’s southeast section seem to have come to an understanding about the ongoing construction between Bauman Drive and Fortner Street. They leave a little earlier, drive more slowly and expect delays during certain parts of the day. Local drivers who’ve been keeping up know there could be more to come – years more, in fact – if all the changes that have been discussed come to fruition. Whether that happens is anyone’s guess. The next phase of expansion on the Circle would add lanes from the intersection at Montgomery Highway around to Bauman Drive, and reconfiguration of roadway medians along the affected section. Local officials have been told for more than three years that the state had allocated money for the project. However, a recent meeting of local officials with Alabama Department of Transportation personnel revealed that the money was, as state Rep. Paul Lee put it, “hung up.” It’s a frustration, surely. But it’s not unusual considering the complexities of highway funding involving multiple governmental entities. Long ago, about $40 million was set aside for viability studies for an interstate connector for Dothan. About $28 million of that money remains, and local officials would like to see those funds made available for Circle improvements. This week, Houston County Commissioner Brandon Shoupe resurrected the idea of creating an overpass at U.S. 84 (Main Street) and the Circle on the west side of Dothan. The Enterprise Ledger – Upon further review, we still can’t get it right Following my social media mini-tirade last weekend
Guest lineups for the Sunday news shows
Guest lineups for the Sunday TV news shows: ABC’s “This Week” — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump; Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders; Reps. Peter King, R-N.Y., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; Defense Secretary Ash Carter. ___ NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Trump, Sanders; Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina; Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. ___ CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Trump; Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. ___ CNN’s “State of the Union” — Trump; Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul. ___ “Fox News Sunday” — Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie; Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
